It is a family drama which will be judged from Monday September 25, 2023, before the Tarn Assize Court. A woman, then aged 43, is accused of killing her 6-year-old daughter. Infanticide against a backdrop of conflict over custody of the child.
The drama took place on Sunday February 11, 2018, in an apartment in the city center of Castres in Tarn. A family closed session.
At the end of the afternoon, a young woman from Castres was awakened from a nap by suspicious odors. Quickly, she discovers in her bathroom the inanimate bodies of her sister and her niece, Lara. Smoke escapes from the room, coming from a homemade barbecue.
She attempted suicide with her daughter
The young woman hosts them for Christmas. His sister and daughter usually live in England. Lara’s dad lives in Spain. There seems to be a conflict between the parents over custody of the child.
Despite the rapid arrival of help, the 6-year-old girl could not be resuscitated. She died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The mother can be saved. She was transported in serious condition to Purpan hospital in Toulouse. It was not an accident, but a failed suicide attempt. Which cost Lara her life.
The drama took place in an apartment in the city center of Castres. • © M.Brisse/FTV
The trail of infanticide was quickly favored by investigators. According to our colleagues at “Dispatch from the South”, a handwritten letter from the accused was allegedly found in the apartment where the tragedy took place. And the bathroom windows had been caulked.
“She cannot explain this act” underlines Maître Alexandre Martin, his lawyer. “This mother adored her daughter, she took care of her very well, they were close.” So how can we explain this crime?
The child’s father, who lives in Spain, had access rights since 2014. But he had not exercised it. According to our information, he wanted to bring his little daughter over during the school holidays. Which would have caused, according to Maître Martin, a panic reaction in his client. “She was overwhelmed by anxieties which ended up overwhelming her…” recalls his advice. Her daughter was also banned from leaving French territory as part of this procedure.
The accused was seen three times by an expert psychiatrist. He believes that when she committed the act, she suffered from “severe impairment of discernment”. Before the Tarn Assize Court, the debates will essentially revolve around this question.
The accused appears for “murder”. A crime punishable by life imprisonment. If the thesis of “severe impairment of discernment” were to be upheld by the court, this sentence would be reduced to 30 years.
The hearing begins Monday September 25, 2023 at 2 p.m. in Albi. The trial is due to end this Wednesday, September 27 in the evening.
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